The Choice is Yours
by Erik'sangel527
Summary: One-shot. Christine stands beside the lake watching helplessly as her Angel of Music strangles Raoul. While watching, she realizes the mistakes she has made and knows what she must do… Takes place during the final 'lair scene' of the musical.


**The Choice is Yours**

" .."For the sins which are yours!" " the Phantom bellowed at the top of his lungs. Before Raoul knew what was happening, a noose was around his neck… and it was tightening.

_No!, _Christine thought frantically, yet the word would not come out as sound. She was standing at the edge of the lake watching in horror as her Angel of Music strangled her Fiancé. _Why has this happened?, _her fearful mind questioned.

Then, after what seemed like centuries of being in the dark with it all, questions began becoming answers. As if in a dream, memories from the first night she performed in _Hannibal, _when the mess had begun, came rushing back to her. _Singing for her Angel, yet thinking of Raoul.. seeing Raoul afterwards and feeling so happy, yet feeling guilty.. meeting her Angel for the first time and forgetting Raoul.. .. _Everything was such a mess. And she had let it continue! Confusion, despair, more confusion, secrets, even more confusion, lies, still confusion, deception..

Finally, _finally_, it hit her full force. _I am in love with two men, and I am breaking both their hearts._

She let out a strangled sob. The fault was her own. She had to stop blaming her Angel, and she had no right to feel so sorry for Raoul. Her presence had destroyed them.

And now, she knew she had three choices. Choose her Angel and leave Raoul, choose Raoul and watch her Angel murder him, or end it- end everything.

_What is it going to be, Christine? _She wrapped her arms around her shaking body looking younger and more scared and confused than ever before. _You are weak, and you are always causing trouble, _a part of her mind accused_. Who are you going to choose?, _that part of her mind asked. _Will the choice be made for you, or will you take matters into your own hands for the first time in your life?_

"I cannot," she whispered aloud, her vision cloudy. "I love them both."

_Weak, weak, weak! If you do not decide quickly, it will be too late._

Her vision returned, and what she saw was heart wrenching. Her Angel was pulling the noose tighter around Raoul's neck, and they were both screaming.

_You have to choose._

"I know," she whispered.

_You must!_

"I know," she said again.

_Choose!_

Her eyes moved downward, away from the horrifying scene. She saw her reflection on the lake's mirror-like surface. What she saw disgusted her. A confused little girl wearing a wedding dress with a veil on her head and a ring on her finger. She wanted to be with two different men, and her wedding attire symbolized just how far she had gone to prove it.

Now though, neither man was acknowledging her existence. Now was her chance. For so long, she had not been alone. Someone was always there… first her father, then Madame Giry, then her Angel, then Raoul. Although she had always thought otherwise since her father's death, she had, in fact, never been alone. Not until now. Now was the perfect opportunity to do something without the help of another, which had never happened before.

But… "I am too weak."

_You silly, selfish girl!_

She had always thought of herself. Now, she could end that! She could end their pain, their suffering.- No, scratch that..- She _would_ end their pain, their suffering.

Suddenly, an enormous amount of courage swelled within her entire being. _I know what I must do._

Without anymore doubt, she fled back into her Angel's labyrinth and, almost too easily, found the knife her Angel had used too many times before on her behalf.

Serious now, deadly serious, she whispered her final words. "Goodbye, my love." She thought more of her Angel than of her Fiancé, which disgusted her further.

Then, with one final deep breath and a distant thought of how Juliet must have felt when seeing Romeo dead before killing herself, Christine plunged the knife into her heart and slowly fell to the ground. Blood quickly covered her white wedding dress.

" "Nothing can save you now- except perhaps Christine!" " the Phantom yelled at Raoul's horror-stricken face. Both men turned their attention to the spot where Christine had been standing moments before. Now though, no one was there.

The Phantom instantly let go of the rope and sloshed through the water to find her, insane anger still etched on his deformed features. _How dare she run?!_ "Christine, you cannot run from this! "This is the choice! This is the point of no return!" "

He reached the edge of the lake and climbed out of the water so that he was standing where she had been.

Raoul was still tied to the entrance gates but was successfully escaping his confines.

There was nowhere for her to go except into his home, so the Phantom went inside.

Standing out against every other surrounding, close to her mannequin, was Christine's body.. her bloody body.

The Phantom gasped. "N- no..." Louder, he yelled, "No!," and he ran to her. Dropping to his knees, his hand instantly took hold of her limp wrist. "No, Christine, no!" There was no pulse. Christine Daae was dead. "No!" He could not stop yelling it, even as he sobbed and held and rocked her lifeless body in his arms.

Raoul suddenly appeared at the entrance. He was shaky and breathless and crying at the sight as he ran to her. He dropped to his knees, just as the Phantom had. Both men were staggered. Both men were wrecks.

This was not how the story was supposed to have ended.


End file.
